Report 136
Report #136 Skillset: Glamours Skill: DeadlyPattern Org: Spiritsingers Status: Rejected Feb 2009 Furies' Decision: We do not believe it needs changing. Problem: As it stands currently, DeadlyPattern exists as a sort of anomaly within the Glamours skillset in that it a) acts like the already pre-existing LowMagic skill, b) does not provide any level of conjunction with any other skill in either Glamours nor any Music specialization I see, and c) provides no incentive to use the skill to strip the faeleaf/earwort defenses because it neither provides the afterimage/earache of the other avenues by which bards have access to to strip these defenses by. Solution #1: Change DeadlyPattern from an active skill into a passive skill much as the other patterns work within Glamours. However, instead of passively doing its current effect of stripping general defenses, have it act as a form of mental relapse - causing the target to suffer the last mental, focus-mind cured affliction to be reafflicted on a tic time of 12s - 15s and lasting for 60s - 90s as the other patterns do. As an illusion, it can be dispelled and will fade in time as all illusions do and requires power to cast. And just to reiterate, no, it will not be this effect and passive defense stripping - the proposal has been and will just be this instead of defense stripping. Solution #2: Keep it an active defense strip, however changed to raise the number of defenses stripped should a target be unblind. An additional function of an indication of what defense(s) were stripped whenever DeadlyPattern is used would be appreciated as well. Player Comments: ---on 2/15 @ 18:42 writes: Eh? passive defense stripping that follows you wherever you go? On top of another effect? This should definitely cost quite a few power to do this, then ---on 2/16 @ 00:18 writes: While I can understand that DeadlyPattern should be changed to something slightly more useful, I do not see the need for another passive effect in Glamours. Why not just speed up the eq so it's slightly better than Spring - stripping defenses is hardly a useless ability, after all. Seems like a simpler solution. ---on 2/16 @ 05:12 writes: It seems my wording confused some people. No, the proposal has not been nor would be passive defense stripping - it will just be this mental relapse that has been proposed to cost power indeed. And speeding up the equilibrium still would not make using DeadlyPattern far more preferable than either Flaring nor BlankNoting because of the reasons stated above, and stripping defenses such as waterwalk or quicksilver does nothing for the Glamourist bard. ---on 2/16 @ 15:21 writes: What is the suggested power cost on this ability? I simply do not see the need for bards to gain another passive affliction effect, on top of songs and other Glamours abilities. More active abilities plz. ---on 2/16 @ 16:18 writes: Having spoken with some glamour bards, they much prefer it the way it is versus having it changed to what Xiel wants. The passives are far suited to the glamour bards of Spiritsinger rather than the glamour bards who use afflictions like plague and such. ---on 2/16 @ 16:27 writes: Regarding stripping defs, deadlypattern only strips blind, deaf, insomnia and umm quicksilver, I think. It is really limited in what it does. My suggestion for this (which I discussed with Lendren and he liked) was making the defences it stripped a selection from a list useful to bards. Then, toss in a mechanic similar to colourburst - if the target is not blind, 2-3 defences are stripped, versus just one. This would make the skill work well, both thematically and combat-wise. ---on 2/16 @ 21:22 writes: I like Sadhyra's solution, but would have to see which defenses are suggested be added to the list - some of the defenses should be less worth stripping to bards (ie. waterwalk, etc.). Furthermore, stripping 3 defenses if the target is not blind seems a tad much. ---on 2/17 @ 02:03 writes: I agree with Synl in that I like Sadhyra's proposition as well, but three defenses stripped a pop would be wonky. If a cohesive list is found for proposed defenses to be stripped however, I'm all ears to hear about it. ---on 2/18 @ 18:08 writes: 3 might be too much, I agree, however it would be nice if the skill primarily stripped in a bard-friendly way, with the majority of the defences removed being things which augment bard skills. However, for this skill to be worth its depth in the Glamours skillset (2nd to last skill), I think it should also include a note to the bard about what defence has been stripped, to make it a viable tactic in combat. Perhaps follow the colourburst theme - indigo twists of colour indicate that a sensory defence has been rendered useless (ie blind/deaf strips), while yellow flashes of light indicate a weakening of the opponent's body (stripped some warrior buff, whatever), etc. Or, hey, if you guys want to just go with "You manage to scathe away x's blindness" I'm not gonna complain. ^_^ ---on 2/18 @ 18:10 writes: Regarding the solution given, as nice as it would be to relapse mental affs, I think bards need more active attacking options and avenues, rather than more ways to just stack passive effects, so I don't like the current solution as written. ---on 2/19 @ 12:41 writes: I like the proposed multiple strip solution here in teh comments as it would work with any of the Bard guilds, unlike a mental relapse, which really doesn't help all the guilds equally. Why not make the stripping ability like that of the low magic strip, where I believe it hits any non-power defense? Instead of 3 defenses, on not being blind targets have only 2 stripped and the bard gets a message or indication as to what is stripped ---on 2/21 @ 19:11 writes: 3 defenses stripped per cast is excessive. Is your suggestion "2 defenses stripped if the target is not blind, only blindness stripped if they are blind," Ethelon? In that case, that seems acceptable, though I'm not sure they'd need to know what defenses (outside of Blindness) were actually stripped. ---on 2/24 @ 03:01 writes: If only blindness was stripped, it would be somewhat pointless, as other glamours skills do this already, with better results. Being told what defences were dropped is a way to make the skill more viable (right now, it's worse than lowmagic's equivalent). However, I think the list of defences it takes down needs to be increased as well, since as is, even the absurd stripping of 3 defences with the skill will be as pointless as stripping one, since all it's going to take down is insomnia, blind and deaf, which we can do far better already in conjunction with other skills.